An eco-tourism dream
When the world’s most popular travel rating site TripAdvisor put out a list of the 10 most extraordinary Treetop Hotels, Sri Lanka’s very own Saraii Village in Weerawila, www.saraiivillage.com – a relative newcomer to the field of sustainable tourism and green travel made it to the list. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.treehouseEN1)
Being rated by TripAdvisor among ten exclusive treetop hotels worldwide gives Saraii more than one reason to celebrate its sustainable message. CEO and founder of Saraii Charitha Abeyratne said “We are grateful to TripAdvisor for considering us worthy enough for this remarkable rating. It feels good when you know you are being appreciated and recommended by your customers. This makes us very excited about the future of Saraii and the experience we offer our guests”.
Saraii Village started as an idea few thought possible. But Charitha Abeyratne, the founder and CEO of Saraii Village who was involved in building an organic Agro-Forestry business with her husband Prasanna, was inspired her to create a sustainable tourism business with an agro/eco platform.
After securing a Fulbright scholarship Charitha made the implementation of Saraii a part of her MBA programme which focused on Global Social Sustainable Enterprise at the Colorado State University in the United States. She came back with a mission to create Saraii. “Building and running a truly sustainable eco-tourism establishment was uncharted terrain, and that meant I had a great deal of research to do before deciding on the final model. Taking a concept from paper to reality is tough with any idea but this was an idea that I had to defend, an idea that needed conviction just to get off the ground. Fortunately I am blessed with positive people who saw the potential of what I saw in Saraii Village and here we are today.”
Charitha named the venture, ‘Saraii’, meaning ‘the essence’, in Hebrew and true to this word, she hopes to allow tourists who visit Saraii feel the true essence of being Sri Lankan. “Saraii Village is a dream, a concept, a connection and a business venture all rolled into one. We are an eco-tourism resort in the South of Sri Lanka built for responsible travellers from around the globe to experience the true essence of Sri Lankan life. It’s a return to basics and a lesson on how to enjoy simple pleasures, healthy food and sustain a lifestyle that retains a message of giving back to the community, our planet and ourselves.”
Opened in September 2012 Saraii has gained popularity amongst travellers seeking authentic travel experiences. The future of Sri Lankan tourism lies in this un-spoilt experience it stands to offer says Srilal Miththapala, Project Director of EU – SWITCH ASIA greening hotels project who is helping Sri Lankan hotels improve their environment and energy conservation practices. “We are talking of the crying need for Sri Lanka Tourism so I was actually very proud and very happy to see Charitha has managed to capture most of this – I think it has helped Sri Lanka Tourism quite honestly – from what I saw on Trip Advisor and some of the things that have been done there on her own without any backing totally coming to the tourism industry newly – I think it’s a great start”.
Saraii upholds the values of the “Slow Food” philosophy where “good, clean and fair” food is of paramount importance. The produce is sourced locally, harvested in a sustainable manner, ensuring a revenue source to the community. In addition to the safari rides, lake or city tours available everywhere, the experiences offered to guests at Saraii are largely community based.
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